January 30, 2004 -- Sulphur Springs Police were closing
in on two men who fled in two different directions on foot Sunday night
following a brief car chase on FM 69 south.

Sulphur Springs Police Sgt. Buddy Williams said that after talking
to Morris County Sheriff's deputies and the Daingerfield resident who
owned the car, he learned the pair were from Daingerfield. No arrests
had been made at 10 a.m. Monday in connection with the case, but charges
are pending.

The chase began at about 10:45 p.m. Sunday when Williams attempted
to stop a 1998 Cadillac vehicle registered to a Daingerfield resident
for a minor traffic violation. When Williams activated his lights to
stop the car, it turned from the south service road on to FM 69, running
a stop sign as it continued south for about a quarter of a mile before
the driver and passenger in the car "bailed out" with the driver running
east and the passenger west. The car continued rolling slowly into the
ditch where it stopped, and was noted to still be in "drive."

Williams attempted to release the door on his truck, where his canine
partner Timmie was located, so that the dog could track one of the suspects
whom the officer saw carrying two to three pounds of what he suspected
to be marijuana as he fled from the car.

"Due to a malfunction with the door I was unable to get him out of
the truck quick enough to track him," Williams explained.

Williams called for backup, and was assisted by Hopkins County sheriff's
deputies who set up around the search area.

Williams' attempt with his dog to track the man halted about 500 yards
east of the stopped vehicle where Timmie lost the scene and was unable
to track further.

They then headed back to the truck and began attempting to track the
passenger who had fled westward. About 200 yards from the vehicle, Timmie
stopped and covered a package containing approximately one pound of suspected
marijuana.

A few hours later, Hopkins County Sheriff's Deputy Adam Herrmann notified
Williams that he had possibly located the fleeing driver. By the time
Williams arrived at the woods just off Interstate 30 the man had eluded
authorities on foot again.

Sulphur Springs Police Cpl. Jason Ricketson brought in his canine partner,
Sony, who tracked the suspect for about a mile where the suspected marijuana
was located before losing the scent.

After the suspect fled a second time, Sgt. Williams went to Daingerfield,
where the vehicle was registered, and talked to a Morris County sheriff's
deputy about the incident. After the deputy watched the tape of the incident
from Williams' patrol vehicle, he then went to talk to the owner of the
abandoned Cadillac.

"I was able to get two suspects who we may have an ID on," Williams
said. "We are still investigating it but we think we may have identification
on the two suspects."

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